Hand in Hand
by CursiveBlade13
Summary: Yugi and Ryou finally begin to settle down and allow their lives to continue after all they had been through. However, when Yugi notices that Ryou seems to keep drifting, he decides to ask what is on Ryou's mind. Heartshipping One-shot.


It had been five years since the Ceremonial Duel and the crossing over of all souls, including those of Atem and Bakura. A lot had changed in those five years; the core group that had been through so much remained steadfast friends, though not as entangled in each other's lives.

Anzu had gone off to New York to finally pursue her dream of being a dancer, but she kept in touch. Honda and Jou both opened up their own car shop and kept a steady business, Otogi was making games quite successfully…

It seemed everyone had found their place. Even Yugi, who had taken over the Kame Game Shop for the most part seemed to have found his rhythm. It had taken ages for him to convince his grandfather to take a few steps back from the business and let Yugi run the place. But when he had finally given in, Yugi had proven more than capable, able to keep up with the stresses and demands of the customers, especially those seeking out the King of Games.

And Ryou admired him for that, still wanting to surround himself with Duel Monsters even after all the pain that it had caused them all for so long. He often came to the shop to spend time with Yugi, especially after they had all come back from Egypt, all changed. Ryou got his own job at a small occult shop a few blocks away from his own apartment and on nights he finished late, he would walk to the game shop and spend time with Yugi as he closed up.

Late night talking turned to late night flirting, lead to dating and eventually a more serious relationship. And it was good for both of them; they both had their scars, some visible, and some under the skin. But they had both seen the same kinds of demons and understood the same kind of pain.

Or, so Yugi always believed. But there were times he could see a distant look in Ryou's eyes and in those moments, Yugi wondered where his boyfriend went. It was always evident that it was a place Yugi couldn't follow.

But before long, Ryou would snap back to normal, they would order dinner and cuddle together on the couch watching some movie or other. Still, the thought haunted Yugi and he always made a note to ask Ryou about it, but he would falter at the last moment, not wanting to pick at scabs.

But curiosity ate at him and finally, Yugi decided to ask.

"Ryou…Ryou, can you hear me?"

Ryou didn't stir, hands holding a dish in the sink, mid-scrub as he looked off, eyes distant. Yugi cleared his throat and moved to gently touch Ryou on the shoulder.

"Ryou."

The touch and his name broke Ryou out of his stupor and he looked back to Yugi with that warm smile of his that made Yugi's heart ache and reconsider for the hundredth time about asking.

"Sorry Yugi, I guess I must have zoned out. I'm sorry about that. I'll finish these dishes up really soon, so you don't have to wait in here with me."

Yugi looked at the smiling man before him, unable to match the expression as his stomach felt like a viper pit, riling and twisting. Seeing his apprehension to leave, Ryou's smile dropped and he looked concernedly at Yugi.

"Are you alright? Something on your mind?"

Well, it was now or never. Yugi swallowed back his excuses, squared his shoulders and looked at Ryou with firm, albeit kind eyes.

"I'm worried about you, Ryou. You've been zoning out a lot recently and I always feel that your mind goes someplace I can't help you in. We're usually pretty honest with one another but…I worry that you're keeping things from me."

He hesitated a moment before looking away and continuing.

"I don't mean it as if you're cheating on me or something. I just mean…well, I'm not sure what I mean, really. Just that…you seem unhappy sometimes and I don't know what's wrong, or how to help you."

Yugi paused a moment, let silence hang in the air between them before he flicked his violet eyes back to Ryou. He was glad that Ryou didn't seem angry. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, as if Yugi had uncovered a secret that Ryou expected to remain hidden for a long time. But no anger, no shouting accusations. Yugi's anxiety over bringing it up faded slightly, heart allowing some tension to leak out as Ryou turned to shut the water off.

He didn't turn back to Yugi, leaning against the counter as his shoulders seemed to slump under a weight Yugi couldn't see. But he didn't speak, knowing that patience was key in uncovering this mystery. And it paid off when Ryou finally spoke.

"I…it's hard to explain to people, but I suppose you'd understand more than anyone."

He was still a moment more before he turned to look at Yugi, a small sad smile gracing his lips.

"I miss him."

Yugi didn't need to ask who the 'him' was; he understood well enough. He missed his own other half so many days. But, he knew that Atem had done what was right and would be proud of him for living each day to the fullest in the world they had both worked so hard to save.

But Ryou…he had suffered so much under Bakura's influence. Pain, scars, suffering…there was no end to the negativity that the spirit of the thief had put Ryou through. And yet, he missed him.

"I…guess I kind of understand," Yugi said, rubbing the back of his head as his endlessly gravity defying hair swayed with the motion. However, Ryou's smile faded and he looked away once again.

"No, you don't understand. You and Atem…you had something different than I ever hoped to have with Bakura. You and your other half got along like brothers, and I was so often jealous of you two. Especially after all that the spirit did to me, to you guys. But everyone that knows about the spirit assumes that I have to hate him, or have to at least resent him, or be glad that he's gone because of what he did to me. But…they don't get that when you share a mind with someone for so long, you learn more about them than anyone."

Ryou sighed, a long drawn out sound that filled the air. His shoulders slumped further and his hands clenched where the leaned against the counter.

"The spirit…he wasn't the evil villain that everyone saw him as. I don't say that to discredit anything he had done. No he wasn't perfect, but…he suffered too. People overlook a lot of that because of the evil that he did. But the Shadows were no kinder to him then he was to me. And if taking a lot of that out on me was the best way for him to cope…I was okay with that. To me, he was more than just an evil thief; he was truly my other half. That's why I don't bring it up whenever I think about him. I worry about him, even though he's gone now. And I know I can't bring it up to people that I miss him because they'll wonder what caused me to go insane for even missing some asshole like him."

That brought a small half smile back to Ryou's face as he finally turned to face Yugi.

"It's not that I was trying to hide it from you. It's just…hard to talk about. You and Atem and the rest of the group didn't see him the way I saw him. And I know that you never will. I guess I'm okay with that because even if you don't, I know who he was. I know that I'm allowed to miss him."

Yugi looked at Ryou and in that moment, he felt a strange disconnect between them. He had always thought that he and Ryou were alike in so many ways, including the fact that they had shared the same situations with their other halves. But, he realised in this moment that he and Ryou weren't as alike as he had thought. Sure, they had things in common, but Ryou's hurts and scars were deeper. And yet, because of the pain he had endured, he had come out stronger than anyone saw. No longer was Ryou the fragile boy in the group. In the years since that fateful trip to Egypt, Ryou had grown stronger and more sure of himself.

The spirit of the thief, Bakura…he had helped Ryou to become a better person, one that could hold his own and take care of himself. He would still have moments where that strength cracked, but drawing on the strength that he had built over the years, over all that he had endured allowed Ryou to remain as strong as he could.

In that moment, Yugi fell in love with Ryou all over again.

He took a step toward his boyfriend before reaching out to grab one of Ryou's hands in his smaller ones. Yugi smiled up at Ryou before he spoke.

"You're right. I don't understand what you and Bakura went through together. Atem and I had been partners from the beginning, working together to save the world, to protect our friends. All that we could see was that Bakura was using you and that you needed to be saved from him. So I guess it's hard to see why you would miss him. But, I understand more now. You miss him because you knew him; he wasn't just someone filled with evil. Bakura had his own story, one that you were privy to, one that none of us even knew. You may not have been friends with him, but you wanted to be. And in the end, he made you the man you are today. You've been hurt, but you've learned how to grow and be strong, Ryou. Bakura, as bad as he was, ended up being good for you."

He smiled at Ryou once again as the pale man looked away. After a few moments, he let out a long breath before smiling at Yugi. The smile wasn't a full-blown expression filled to the brim with warmth, nor was it a sad melancholy action. It was the special sort of motion that allowed Ryou to express the pain that had scarred over into something beautiful.

"Thank you for understanding, Yugi," he said softly before pulling the shorter man in for a tight hug.

The years had been long and cruel to some, but for the two in that moment, the world and the years didn't matter. They had each other, and though it would take time, understanding one another was a journey they were prepared and willing to take, hand in hand.


End file.
